Chapter 166: Hospitality

***Arc 7 One Who Bare Their Fang on Reason, Chapter 166 Hospitality***

It was the parlor, not the dining room, that was to be used for the dinner party.

The sofas, etc. that had been inside were moved to another room, and the cold floorboards were covered with a carpet with no gaps.

Today, the guests were to sit directly on the floor for the meal, in accordance with Kreisharana's tradition.

Bery said that if they were going to show them their welcome, they should first try to adapt to their culture.

Kreschenta said that anything was fine, and the suggestion was fully adopted, and the food was more like country cooking than anything intricate.

Pumpkin soup was a must, of course. A stew of beef stewed until tender, and a light, salt-based seafood soup made with fish and shellfish imported from Arna.

Three whole chickens were roasted.

They have been marinated with herbs and salt since last night, and butter was carefully applied to the surface during grilling.

The chicken, with its candy-colored luster, was like a jewel, almost like amber.

Its belly was bright and colorful filled with ingredients, and a gorgeous aroma wafted from inside.

Bone-in thigh meat covered in oil was arranged in a circle on the plate as if it were a decoration.

Toppings such as cheese and bacon were piled up on a flat plate so that they can be eaten with bread, and various skewers such as chicken, pork, sheep, and beef were arranged like a mound of needles.

――It was truly a warrior's feast.

There was so much meat that it looked even more primitive.

The vegetables seemed to be served in the soup, and the salad served as a complimentary addition, but the star of the dish was the meat.

"Wow...amazing..."

Lira, guided by Elvena, instinctively raises her voice and covers her mouth in embarrassment.

Vinthril and the warriors who followed also looked surprised.

A dinner party invited by the Queen. And probably the Queen herself held the knife.

Any fears about how elegant the dishes would be were instantly blown away by the heat of the meat filling the room, which made their saliva seep out and their stomachs rumble.

Although there was a huge difference in cooking techniques, the food was close to what was eaten at Kreisharana's banquet.

A carpet covered the entire surface of the room, and a low table was set up――probably in consideration of the fact that the guests sit directly on the table instead of using chairs to eat their meals.

Even the queen was already sitting on the floor.

They were well aware of the fact that the people of the kingdom use chairs in their culture, and they understand that sitting on the floor as it is was "unbecoming" for them.

And The leaders of a major powers did it to match them.

In terms of reception, it was different from that of all the nobles place they had stopped by so far, and it could truly be called a heartfelt welcome.

The journey so far had not been bad thanks to the efforts of their guides, but it was not without its unpleasant moments.

There was also the matter of dress.

There were few who looked favorably upon the fur-clad people of Kreisharana, and some of the nobility, while professing to welcome them, treated them with the same contempt as they would have treated filthy things.

From the kingdom's point of view, Kreisharana was just a barbarian.

They were nothing more than country savages living in the mountains.

Of course, they did not expect to be welcomed with open arms, and they were fine with that.

Kreisharana's loyalty is to the Dragon's Contractor――Krische, not the kingdom.

The state of diplomatic relations should be resolved because it was the country in which she lives, and it was not essential to decide whether or not to form a friendship with the kingdom itself.

They didn't mind if it becomes a relationship that lasts only during Krische's lifetime.

There were many people who think so, and naturally, some of them were among them.

However, the audience room and the hospitality they received gave a slightly different impression of them.

At least, the queen's words in the audience hall were not false, and the care and attention to detail proved it.

The queen of this country must be different from the like of them.

The way she sat with her shoulders close to Krische on her left was completely different from the way they saw her in the throne room, and she seemed to be a pure and lovely girl to all intents and purposes.

The softness of the atmosphere must have been intentional.

She was implicitly conveying that this was just a dinner party without any formality.

The woman sitting to her right looked like a girl, with her shining golden hair and clear beauty.

She was conversing with an evil-looking old man, and another long-haired old man, as she gave a slight nod to them.

Further to Krische's left was a man of large stature――a clearly skilled warrior.

His face was like a rock, his military uniform was taut, and he looked intimidating just by sitting there.

He was no ordinary warrior.

The man looked at them as if he were observing,

"Meow-Meow, you have a bad look in your eyes. Why are you glaring at the guests?"

"N-no...I guess you could call it a warrior's instinct."

That warrior was being scolded by Krische like that.

The warriors were guided to their seats one by one from the back, with Lira and Vinthril in the lead, and sat down.

When everyone was seated, Kreschenta clapped her hands.

Standing up, they were first was a banquet greeting.

After confirming that sake had been poured for each person, she ended the formalities simply and held up the sake cup.

While there were minor differences in the toasts, the basics were the same.

The toasts were performed in the same manner, with the queen――the hostess drinking from a cup of sake filled with fruit juice to the point it can't be called sake anymore and after that, there was no reason for the others not to follow suit.

The warriors also gulped down their drinks with gusto, leaving only Krische to sip and sip as she watched.

As expected, the party started with a wait-and-see attitude.

They talked about their journey to the royal capital while giving their impressions of the food.

Surrounded by warriors, the guide, Argosh Giterns, who was looking uncomfortable at the end of the table, was drinking a tasteless drink while being scared inwardly by the story.

He was their guide and also Anne's father.

Thanks to Krische's suggestion that he should be invited along, he was asked to attend the banquet hosted by the queen, and while on the surface he was smiling a nobleman's smile, he was sweating cold sweat on his back.

He was a marquis.

His status as a noble was not low, but in reality he was just a noble who manages and operates a region in the countryside――in short, he was nothing more than the head of local officials.

He was fundamentally different from the noble in the royal capital who run the country and politics, and if possible, he would like to live quietly in the territory entrusted to him.

The reason Giterns was able to continue their lineage so peacefully for such a long time was because they remained independent of politics, regardless of the royal palace.

For Argosh, the very idea of being invited to the queen's banquet was painful.

"The climate and life are different, and I would be lying if I said that there was no inconvenience...but thanks to Giterns-dono, there was no shortage. We had underestimated the cold, so he arranged blankets for us, prepared a thick tent for us...he took care of our meals, our personal needs, and everything else. Without him, the trip would not have been as enjoyable."

Lira and Vinthril just single-mindedly lifted Argosh up.

It must be true that they were grateful to him.

It was as if they wanted to tell Argosh's master, Queen Kreschenta, about his accomplishments and ask her to take care of him.

Kreschenta sways her golden hair that sparkles with red, and turns her violet eyes to Argosh.

"That's right. I'm glad that you did a good job despite not being an official guide, Marquis Giterns. I'll have to give you a reward later."

"H-ha! As a subject of Her Majesty, I only did what was expected of me, Your Majesty. The special consideration given is much too excessive."

"Kreisharana, along with Arna, are friends of the Kingdom. That such people praise you so much and I didn't reward you anything, it would make makes them question my character. Please don't hesitate to accept it."

It was such a beautiful smile.

A Haki (spirit) that seemed to say she won't accept any objection was emanating from that small body.

Or perhaps it was the dignity of a monarch.

It was something that only a person who is born to reign over others possesses, something without form.

Although her appearance was beautiful, and one could call her a child――at least no one would doubt that she was the queen who ruled the Kingdom.

She had such a mysterious atmosphere.

"Although there was nothing glamorous in the northwestern part of the kingdom, I know that you are keeping a close eye on your territory. Tax revenue has increased slightly every year since you took over, and things seem to be going much better since the road maintenance. ...It seems that you are currently trying to focus on livestock farming, but how is the progress? "

Argosh stiffened.

It was as if the queen was talking while looking at document.

The northwest region can be called the countryside even in the kingdom, and there were no notable special products.

They were certainly looking at livestock farming as a new industry, but they had only called in experts and completed a survey of suitable land――in fact, nothing had begun yet.

They send a report to the government every season, but it was mostly a list of numbers.

At least, it's not something the Queen would look at carefully, and unless she scrutinizes the numbers for that purpose, there's no way she'd have any idea what Argosh was trying to do.

It is unlikely that she would have bothered to find out when she learned that Argosh was coming to the banquet.

His participation had just been decided shortly before.

Suddenly, Argosh saw a silver-haired girl next to the queen, chewing on a bone-in thigh and looking at her.

Dragon's Contractor, Hero of the civil war.

What they had in common was an ability that belied their age and purple eyes that resembled jewels.

'――This Queen, is she aware of the entire kingdom's land financial situation and its detailed movements?'

His doubts were now close to confirmation.

"Yes, so far it's going well...we have found several candidate sites that are suitable and are in the process of attracting livestock farmers. We will start from there and slowly expand."

As he answered, he frantically searched through the materials sent to the Kingdom to see if there was anything wrong with them.

Even though he knew there shouldn't be any, seems he couldn't help but get stomachache against this person.

"Is that so. I hope it goes well."

She was the queen of the kingdom, Kreschenta――an existence above the clouds.

Considering that she was someone who could make his head fly off at the slightest whim, there was nothing but tension there.

"From now on, the northwestern region will also serve as a contact point with Kreisharana, so I would like to send some nobles to work under you. It feels like we don't have enough personnel for what we're trying to do... so don't push yourself too hard.''

"H-ha. Thank you very much for your consideration, Your Majesty the Queen..."

"It would be a shame if someone as talented as you collapsed from overwork. It would be a loss to the kingdom."

Argosh bowed deeply as she sat down and thanked her. Anne, who was behind Kreschenta, asked her permission and then took a trotted offas if moved by the sight of her father being praised so highly.

She went to her father's side and held up the wine pitcher.

"Here, here, please, Marquis Giterns."

"...You, really."

He accepted it, sighing at the sight of his daughter with a big, happy smile on her face as she poured the wine.

Ha had so much to say to her, but it seemed true that she was doing well here.

Argosh smiled, relieved to see that she seemed to be in good health.

Although the dinner party had many diplomatic intentions, both parties avoided the main topic for a while.

This was probably because the food was so delicious.

Then, after drinking a little and everyone's tongues became lighter, it was Kolkis, who was talking with Vinthril, who caught the gaze of Gallen and Eluga.

"But even for a nation of warriors, there were quite a number of skilled men here. They seem to be the elite of the Krei Sharana. ...What is this about, Vinthril-dono?"

There were too many of them to be mere messengers.

It's not like he was worried about being attacked by bandits who rode a griffin that could fly.

The atmosphere changes at Kolkis words.

The warriors lowered their voices, and Vinthril smiled.

"It's a little bit awkward to hear such words from a warrior like Argand-sama, who is so recognizable at a glance. It is fine if you use it as you normally would."

Kolkis turned to Kreschenta.

"Today is just a dinner party. If Vinthril-sama says so, I don't care either. I will leave the affairs of the warriors to you, fellow warriors."

"Ha. Thank you."

Bowing his head deeply as he sits, Kolkis turns his gaze to Vinthril again.

"To tell you the truth, I don't really like this kind of forma tone. I thank you. But if that's the case, then it's the same for me. I think it's strange that I'm the only one with an informal tone towards the guests, Vinthril-dono. "

"I'm the one who should say thank you...Unlike Lira, I don't have much confidence in the plain's language. When it comes to serious conversations like this, I'm afraid of misunderstanding the meaning of the words. I'm glad to hear you say that."

"That's good...but I'm impressed by how fluent you are. I can't even speak the language of another country, even if it's just a greeting, so I honestly respect that."

Kolkis let out a sigh and poured some wine into Vinthril's cup, then poured it into his own cup as well.

They took their cups and clinked them together, and Kolkis urged him with his gaze.

"I heard from Krische-sama that the kingdom is in a situation where it is inevitable that it will be invaded by other countries...What is the reality?"

"It's as you heard, there's no doubt about it. We are being targeted by three great powers, each with equal national power, in the east, west, and south."

Kolkis said, moistening his tongue with wine.

"The three countries will probably come at us in unison. Even putting it mildly the situation is dangerous. I don't doubt victory, but..."

He said, as his gaze turned to Krische.

Krische cheeks were flushed with alcohol and she was uninterested in such talk.

She was pulling Bery's hand to sit between him and Kreschenta.

The beautiful red-haired servant looked troubled by the atmosphere in the room and chided her, whispering in her ear, but in the end she obeyed her beloved master and sat down like that.

Alberinea was in a good mood, her arms wrapped sweetly around her.

That figure of hers lacks the power of persuasion to say that he doesn't have any worries as long as she was here.

Kolkis rubbed his temple.

"Kuku, don't worry. I understand Krische-sama's ability."

"Sigh... that's a blessing. However...it's true that some soldiers are anxious. The situation is so bad that under normal circumstances it seems like there is no way to win."

He stirred his drink and took a breath, which Vinthril saw and refilled his cup.

Kolkis thanked him and continued.

"According to diplomatic custom, we think that the war will probably start in six months, but there was a possibility that it will be earlier. We are preparing our military, assuming that there is a good chance that the enemy will move from the spring when the snow thaws."

In fact, there was a high possibility that this would happen, but the reason was not stated here.

A dragon had visited the royal capital――the rumor has spread and has probably already reached the three countries.

It can be used in any way as an excuse to start a war.

"I see, it was right to come early..."

Vinthril put his hand on his chin and narrowed his wise eyes.

"We generally understand the situation in the kingdom. However, we cannot suddenly offer full cooperation. The rift between the kingdom and Kreisharana is deep――On our side there are many who don't want to be friends with the kingdom.''

He stirred the sake cup and looked at the empty vessel.

Although he spoke to Colchis, his words were meant to be heard by Kreschenta and the others.

Kolkis was simply a starting point.

Both side knew that.

"At least on our side, the majority opinion is that we should avoid a situation where Kreisharana itself would be exposed to hostility. We shouldn't be the ones to bear the brunt of it."

"Of course. There's no benefit to Kreisharana after all."

Kreschenta said while Bery poured the juice from the fruit.

From those words, Kreschenta already understood most of it.

"However, you cannot afford to do nothing for Onee-sama who is in dire straits....Is this supposed to be a military exchange or an inspection?"

Vinthril opened his eyes and then smiled bitterly.

Krische tilted her head and looked at her sister and Vinthril, while Kreschenta smiled.

"What you're looking for is a good cause for participating in the war. That what you're dealing with is a rude person who invaded the kingdom without paying attention to Kreisharana during exchanges with the kingdom――I wonder is that what you are aiming for? "

"Exactly. What is necessary is a situation where our side don't have any choice but to accept it, Your Majesty."

Forcing the warriors of Kreisharana to shed blood for the sake of Alberan.

Naturally, there were many who were reluctant to do so.

In the normal course of events, it would be appropriate to remain quiet――even if it's for the sake of Krische, it would be foolish to get involved in this war, risking the very survival of Kreisharana itself.

However, it was not a matter of profit and loss alone.

"There are people who are dissatisfied with lending a hand to the kingdom, but it's a different story if Kreisharana itself is being scorned. You can say we came here to create a reason for that."

"I'm grateful...but is it okay? It's not my intention to involve Kreisharana, who has been living peacefully for a long time."

She had heard that the population of Kreisharana is about the size of a city.

It was true that the situation is such that they would like to borrow even a cat's hand, but it would be a bit of a problem if Kreisharana were to be destroyed.

The same goes for mining magic crystals, but in the future she want to breed their griffins on a large scale in the kingdom.

The possibility of losing that know-how is a huge blow.

If many of them die in the war, Kreisharana will have no choice but to rely on the Kingdom, and this would remove a lot of friction in terms of subsequent mining, but that was not an urgent matter.

The fact that they are willing to participate was not a bad situation.

However, her true feelings were that it would be okay if they would just sit back and watch.

"Peace and peace are things we should respect, but first of all we are warriors. We believe in martial arts and dedicate our lives to improving ourselves. ...Krische's valiant figure, who showed off her might alone in front of the Holy Spirit, is still etched in my eyes."

Vinthril said and looked at Krische.

"Despite being hindered by us, she fought on equal terms with the Holy Spirit and became its Contractor. She is truly worthy of respect and the image of a warrior we should aspire to be――It is contrary to our ideals to watch things like that and just sit back and watch, fearing the loss of peace and well-being. If we overlook this, we will lose our pride as warriors."

Krische looked at Vinthril in confusion and then looked at Selene.

Selene was exasperated, and she returned her gaze as if to tell her to give up.

"I'm betting on this pride, however small I may be. The numbers are small, and I wouldn't say it's a match for a thousand but let us show that each of us is a match for ten or even a hundred. If it doesn't cause any inconvenience, please allow us to fight side by side with the Kingdom. And this is what Alkierence, the chief of the Kreisharana clan hopes for, as well as a proof of our continued friendship.''

Vinthril bowed his head on the spot, and the warriors watched.

Kreschenta looked at him inwardly exasperated.

There was no political maneuvering or anything.

Plain and simple――this was what the country would be like if a military man whose mind was made of muscle was entrusted with the helm.

"Please raise your head, Vinthril-sama. In fact, it should be me who is requesting it. To say the least, the country is in danger of extinction——I have no choice of saying no when you are willing to lend Alberan your strength. ...I swear on my name that I will never forget this favor."

However, wouldn't it be nice if the person was someone who was easy for her to control?

At the very least, it will serve as a check on Elderant in the west, and the ignorant people who don't know that Kreisharana's national power was only about the size of a city will be very happy with that support.

Even if it had rotted, the fact that a country would lend its power was more effective than what is in practice.

It's not like she could expect much from them as a military force, but it's meaningful enough just to discourage them, and it's also valuable in terms of alleviating the anxiety of the people as a whole.

Kreschenta didn't doubt his sister's victory, but she thought that if it could make her sister feel at least a little bit more comfortable and reduce her burden after the war, it wouldn't be a bad thing considering the risks.

"Thank you....However, it's hard to even say Kreisharana is a small country now. It cannot make any major moves, and basically the only area we can cooperate with is to the west of the kingdom, which is Elderant. "

"That's enough. Just removing Elderant's consciousness will be a great power."

The mountain range that extends from Mount Arbyagelextends far to the west, and touches the northern part of Elderant.

If Kreisharana were to participate in the battle, Elderant would also consider the possibility of being threatened in the rear. In such a situation, it is difficult to concentrate only on the main attack.

The small amount of help they received was more than enough considering their national power.

Vinthril nodded,

"As I said earlier, our purpose is to create a pretext."

He looked back at Kolkis.

"——However, it's just as Agrand-dono has guessed. What we have here is the very best of Kreisharana. Their purpose is to follow Krische-dono as her bodyguard until the end of the war, and fight as her blade. "

The warriors of Kreisharana here were all volunteers.

Some of them have a sense of reverence for the warrior who was even a match for the Holy Spirit called Krische, others are interested in fighting on the plain, and there are many other reasons, but of course they are all the most elite warriors in Krei Sharana.

Although they were few in number, Vinthril had confidence in them.

"On a battlefield made up of ten thousand soldiers, we are at most thirty horsemen, but everyone here is a skilled griffin cavalry. I have no intention of falling behind even against a thousand soldiers...I am confident that we will be able to be of some help."

Vinthril declared, and Colchis laughed happily.

"These are very brave words. But what's most reassuring is that they don't sound like nonsense."

"It's an honor to be praised like that by a warrior like you. If you don't mind, we can also interact with each other, and I'd like to arrange a meeting at a later date but"

"I have no objection. Rather I was just about to request it."

Kolkis poured sake into Vinthril empty cup.

And then they put together a glass of sake——Krische, who was watching this, opened her mouth while hugging Berry's arm.

"Hmm...is it really okay? Krische think it's best to be peaceful after all, and even if you doesn't force yourself to cooperate...Krische feel like bit bad to involve Kreisharana too. "

"Now, it's not like it's just for Cliché-sama. It's a bit of a rough cure, but fighting together isn't a bad way to bridge the gap with the kingdom. ...At least that's what I thought after my journey to date. The same goes for the others."

Vinthril looked at Argosh who looked nervous and smiled.

The relationship between countries cannot be said to be good.

However, if you look at each person individually, this was not the case.

If they look at each of these small concerns, the things that are conveyed through each of these hospitality, those bad feelings would eventually disappear.

"The beauty of the body won't be conveyed to the Holy Spirit...If you look at it without the robes of country and without being bound by preconceived notions, you can see that we are the same people who can drink together and laugh together. As Her Majesty said, Krische-sama is just the trigger. ...We just decided to take up the spear for the sake of the future of the kingdom and Kreisharana. Krische-sama has nothing to worry about."

Krische turned to Lira.

Lira smiles and nods, following Vinthril's words.

"It's just as Onii-san said. ... A heart dwells in this kind of hospitality——we are truly happy with that."

All of the dishes on display were easy to eat for them who were not accustomed to using knives and forks, and the Kingdom took the trouble to move the chairs and spread out the carpet so that they could sit directly.

The truth lies in the consideration that was taken as a matter of course, and it was of great value.

"This is not because we were involved, but because we wanted a future with the kingdom. From the beginning, we were given the discretion to decide it here. ... Just because it turned out like this, no matter what the outcome is, Krische-sama shouldn't be worried by it.''

"...Is that how it is?"

"Yes, that's just how it is."

Krische nodded with a look as if unconvinced, as if she understands it and no understands, and looked at Bery next to her.

Bery also silently nodded and smiled happily at her.